iOS 9.1 beta brings a taco emoji to iPhones at long last

Caitlin McGarry |
Sept. 14, 2015

Beta testers can also train Siri to recognize their voices.

iOS 9 isn’t even officially out, but already Apple is seeding the iOS 9.1 beta to developers and the public. The most exciting new feature by far is new emojis, including a taco, burrito, cheese wedge, unicorn, and a middle finger.

And it’s about time. If emojis are eventually going to replace words as our preferred communication mode, they need to get more expressive. We need more food types, more hand gestures, and more animals to fully convey our emotions. (Still no avocado though—what gives?)

OK, OK, so maybe you’re not into emoji. The iOS 9.1 beta also brings support for the iPad Pro’s Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, plus the ability to provide Siri with voice examples so she always understands you. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus owners will be able to summon Siri all the time, not just by pressing the home button or plugging the phone into a power source, by simply saying, “Hey Siri.” The voice training presumably will keep Siri from responding to other people, but we haven’t yet put that to the test.

It’s unclear when iOS 9.1 will make new emojis official so you can send middle fingers to all your friends (but not your parents or boss). iOS 9 launches Sept. 16 with a whole slew of major upgrades that are slightly more important than emojis, so make sure to install that first.